Blake Dawson launches new practice

Blake Dawson has launched an employment law practice across South-East Asia to be led by former Freehills practice group leader George Cooper. Announced today (22 September), Singapore-based

Blake Dawson has launched an employment law practice across South-East Asia to be led by former Freehills practice group leader George Cooper.

Announced today (22 September), Singapore-based Cooper will head the firm's new regional employment law practice from mid-October.

Cooper joins Blakes from Freehills, where he has led its workplace law and advisory - Asia practice in Singapore since 2007.

"We have offices in Singapore, Jakarta, Shanghai, [Tokyo and Port Moresby], but we don't have specialists in the [employment] field in that area," said the head of Blakes' national employment practice, Richard Bunting.

"We have quite a bit of work needing to be done on instructions from Singapore or relating to issues in the region, so we will now be establishing a broad employment law advisory practice in the region, based in Singapore, with George Cooper leading it."

According to Bunting, the new practice will involve a lot of cross-border employment work for companies operating in the region.

"George will also be dealing with occupational, health and safety and other employment issues which come up on major projects that are going on in the region" he said.

Bunting said the new practice will initially entail Cooper as lead partner, a senior associate and a solicitor.

"There will also be an integration and cooperation with our employment law specialists here in Australia and there will be an integration with the other players we have in the region," he said.

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